Rivian sales executive departs after less than a year

Rivian’s top executive in charge of business growth has departed after under a year, as announced by the sales lead last week.

On Friday, Rivian Chief Commercial Officer and President of Business Growth Kjell Gruner shared a post on LinkedIn announcing his immediate departure from the electric vehicle (EV) company. Gruner, who is also a former executive for Porsche, has been with Rivian since September 2023, working at the EV maker’s headquarters in Irvine, California.

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“During my time at Rivian, I have had the privilege of working with an incredibly talented team,” Gruner said. “Together, we have built our direct-to-consumer marketing function, established a dynamic sales team, opened new showrooms, broken sales and delivery records, and, most importantly, enhanced the overall customer experience, including delivery and service.”

“Additionally, we built the Product Management function, and I am proud of the launch of the second generation of the Rivian R1.”

Although Gruner hasn’t yet disclosed what his plans are for the future, he did note in the post that it was “the right moment for me to transition to the next chapter of my career.”

Gruner is being succeeded by Dagan Mishoulam, who will absorb Gruner’s responsibilities in the role of Senior Vice President of Commercial.

“Gruner’s resignation is not the result of any disagreement with the Company on any matters related to its business, policies, or practices,” Rivian wrote in a filing in California.

Like many automakers this year, including Tesla, Rivian has launched a few rounds of layoffs in recent months as part of larger cost-reduction efforts.

Rivian recently gained a $5 billion investment from Volkswagen, as part of a partnership over software and vehicle platforms. The investment is expected to help Rivian launch production of its upcoming R2 platform, as the company continues to seek profitability despite losing money on each EV it sells.

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